James Kang

Last updated
James D. Kang
James K-opt.jpg
Born
Seoul, South Korea
NationalityAmerican
Alma materWashington University in St. Louis, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Known forResearch on intervertebral disc degeneration
Scientific career
FieldsOrthopedic Surgery, Spinal Surgery
InstitutionsBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, University of Pittsburgh

James D. Kang is an American academic, orthopedic surgeon, and scientist, specializing in spinal surgery. He is Chair Emeritus of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and holds the Thomas S. Thornhill and Karen N. Thornhill Distinguished Professorship at Harvard Medical School. [1] He has been cited over 22,000 times and has an h-index of 79. [2] [ better source needed ]

Contents

Early life and education

Kang was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States in 1967. He attended Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City, graduating in 1978. He earned a degree in chemical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 1982 and obtained his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1986. Kang completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1992, followed by a fellowship in spine surgery at Case Western Reserve University in 1993 under the direction of Henry Bohlman. [3]

Career

Following his fellowship, Kang joined the faculty of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he was later promoted to full professor and appointed the UPMC Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery in 2007. [4] He also served as the executive vice chairman for clinical services and director of the Ferguson Laboratory Musculoskeletal Research Center for Spine Research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). [5]

In 2015, Kang was appointed chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at BWH, succeeding Thomas S. Thornhill. [6] In 2016, he received the Thomas and Karen Thornhill Professorship at Harvard Medical School. After a ten-year tenure as chair, he transitioned to chair emeritus and distinguished professor at Harvard Medical School in 2025. [7]

Research and contributions

Kang has performed research on intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), focusing on its biological and molecular pathomechanisms. His research established that disc cells are biochemically active, producing inflammatory cytokines that may contribute to back pain and radicular pain. [8] His studies explored the interactions between aging and disc degeneration using animal models, leading to insights into inflammation and matrix degradation in IDD. [9]

Kang also investigated molecular therapies for disc degeneration, including gene therapy. [10] His studies demonstrated the feasibility of gene transfer into the disc and the therapeutic potential of enhancing matrix proteins. Additionally, he has conducted clinical research on spinal disorders, evaluating functional outcomes following cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal surgeries. [11]

Kang has performed more than 14,000 spinal surgeries. He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications and more than 73 book chapters, as well as authoring a text book on Hip-Spine Syndrome. [12] He has served as deputy editor of Spine as well for the spine section of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research (JOR). [13] [14]

Service and leadership

Kang was appointed to the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) in 2017. [15] In 2024, he served as President of ABOS, overseeing the certification and maintenance of certification for orthopedic surgeons in the United States. [15] In 2016, he was also president of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine. [16]

Selected publications

References

  1. ↑ "Kang Named Thornhill Family Professor of Orthopedic Surgery | Harvard Medical School". Harvard Medical School . 1 December 2016.
  2. ↑ "James D. Kang, MD, Appointed New Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery". Brigham and Women's Hospital .
  3. ↑ "James Kang | Harvard Catalyst Profiles | Harvard Catalyst". Harvard Medical School .
  4. ↑ "James D. Kang, MD - Brigham and Women's Hospital". Brigham and Women's Hospital .
  5. ↑ "James D. Kang, MD". bwhneurosciences. 20 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Kang Appointed Chair of Department of Orthopedic Surgery". Brigham and Women's Hospital . 23 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "James D. Kang". MedCentral.
  8. ↑ Peloso, Marissa (21 December 2021). "Can Degenerative Disc Disease Be Treated Without Invasive Surgery?". Brigham On a Mission.
  9. ↑ Rider, Sean M.; Mizuno, Shuichi; Kang, James D. (25 January 2019). "Molecular Mechanisms of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration". Spine Surgery and Related Research. 3 (1): 1–11. doi:10.22603/ssrr.2017-0095. PMC   6690117 . PMID   31435545.
  10. ↑ Kang, James D. (31 March 2020). "Commentary on "Gene Therapy Approach for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: An Update"". Neurospine. 17 (1): 15–16. doi:10.14245/ns.2040092.046. PMC   7136106 . PMID   32252150.
  11. ↑ Hofheinz, Elizabeth (18 September 2015). "James D. Kang, M.D.: New Orthopedic Chair at BWH". Orthopedics This Week.
  12. ↑ "Hip-Spine Syndrome: It's Complicated (and Often Overlooked) | Mass General Brigham". www.massgeneralbrigham.org.
  13. ↑ "Dr. James Kang Named a Top Spine Surgeon". McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine . 27 March 2012.
  14. ↑ "Dr. James Kang to receive 2016 McEllroy Award | Department of Orthopaedic Surgery | University of Pittsburgh". www.orthonet.pitt.edu.
  15. 1 2 "James D. Kang, M.D. Elected ABOS President". Orthopedics This Week. 31 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "PAST PRESIDENTS". The International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine.
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